Golf: Craig Lee’s grand Tour restarts in Spain

CRAIG Lee feels as if he is starting his season all over again, despite the fact he’s already marked his return to the European Tour after a three-year absence with a brace of top-20 finishes.

He got his campaign off to a flying start by securing eighth spot in the Africa Open and followed that up by finishing 17th in the Joburg Open.

In just those two events in January, the Stirling man picked up around £32,000 – more than half the amount he earned in a full season on the main circuit in 2008. Yet, a full two months have passed since Lee has been able to tee it up on the European Tour due to a combination of strong fields during the Gulf Swing and, more recently, a break in the schedule.

The 34-year-old, who graduated from the Challenge Tour last season, travelled to both Dubai and India only to be left on the reserve list when the Desert Classic and the Avantha Masters teed off. Flying high in the Race to Dubai after his opening two events, he’s now sitting 90th as he finally gets the chance to return today, in the first round of the Andalucia Open at Aloha Golf Club, near Marbella.

“It’s obviously great to be playing again. But I’ve lost the momentum from the good start and it feels like I’m starting again after a winter off,” Lee told The Scotsman. “That means I’m not sure what state my tournament game is in, but I’m looking forward to finding out and hopefully the work is paying off.”

Lee was in Portugal practising a fortnight ago before heading to Spain to join forces with his parents and brother in the PGA Catalunya Pro-Am. “We were sitting second going into the last round but fell away,” said Lee, who finished second in the individual event to Stephen Gray, last year’s Tartan Tour No 1.

Wherever he is in the world, Lee has a reminder of Ramsay McMaster, who died suddenly at the end of last year in Australia, where he’d established himself as one of the world’s leading golf physiotherapists.

“Ramsay was a great man and sad loss to the world of golf,” said Lee. “He worked tirelessly and with such enthusiasm in an aspect of the game that changed the way most professionals, including me, trained their bodies.

“He was a world leader in the physical way the body functions in golf swing and with a sometimes eccentric approach to physical training he never stopped researching and coming up with new ways to improve golfers’ health and golf swings.

“Ramsay was the founder of the many training aids for golf, my favourite being the spikey ball (slightly bigger then a tennis ball and covered in small spikes, which you rub on tight muscles to help free the muscles up), which never leaves my side when travelling and still gets strange looks to newcomers of the game.”

Despite Paul Lawrie, the defending champion, having to pull out due to illness, the Scottish contingent is still in double figures at Aloha. It is spearheaded by Stephen Gallacher, who finished joint second in his last outing in the Dubai Desert Classic, and also includes Alasair Forsyth, who got one of the invitations handed out by tournament host. Miguel Angel Jimenez.

Joining them to fight for a top prize of just under £140,000 are Colin Montgomerie, Richie Ramsay, Peter Whiteford, George Murray, David Drysdale, Marc Warren, Steven O’Hara and Gary Orr, as well as three ex-major winners in Rich Beem, Michael Campbell and Mike Weir.

Lawrie, the world No 45, who needs to stay inside the top 50 at the end of next week to earn an invitation to The Masters, has revealed he decided to withdraw from this week’s event after “a very uncomfortable flight” on his return from the WGC-Cadillac Championship in Miami last weekend. “I couldn’t stop coughing and spluttering,” the Aberdonian said on his blog.

“I got some antibiotics from the doctor but decided to withdraw this week as there’s no way I could play. I sent Miguel Angel Jimenez a text to say sorry but I’m not well enough to play, I hope he understands. I have spent all day on the couch, one minute sweating and the next minute freezing.”